Solar radiation still has a strong effect on the snowpack even on cloudy days. As the storm snow becomes heavier throughout the day it will be easier to trigger in steep terrain.
Weather Forecast
We are under more of north westerly flow with a brief ridge of high pressure that will keep things mostly dry for today with a mix of sun and cloud. Expect local convective squalls producing short periods of snowfall with winds picking up in the alpine to 50km/h from the west. Light to moderate snow is expected tonight into tomorrow morning.
Snowpack Summary
30cm of recent storm snow sits over the April 2 surface hoar/crust layer. No crust was observed on due north aspects. The Mar 22 Cr is down 50-60cm, the Mar 2 is down 1.0-1.25m, the Feb 10 is down ~1.75m. The mid and lower snowpack are very well settled.
Avalanche Summary
2 size 2.0 natural avalanches east and west of the Rogers Pass summit within the highway corridor.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Sunday
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.